Les Kaye is a teacher at Kannon Do Zen Center in Mountain View, California. In this down-to-earth manual, he presents some of the challenges and obstacles on the journey of Zen practice. The substantial benefits of meditation are awareness, patience, and generosity. In the first section of the paperback titled "Sources of Difficulty," Kaye points out how regular practice enables us to better deal with stress, the rough edges of anger, the "I Have To" trap, turning away from others, stagnation, and living a fulfilling life.

The author wants us to think about all the "spills" we have created by not paying attention to what we are doing. We constantly create messes — not only by spilling a cup of coffee on our desk but also by tripping on the street or by crashing into another car — all because we are distracted and let our minds wander from the task at hand. Training our mind is the best way to prevent spills. It is also helpful in tuning our lives and dealing with disappointment and delusions.

In the last section, Kaye covers various aspects of the composure that comes with disciplined and regular spiritual practice. He sees selflessness as "the ultimate home of happiness" and caring as an expression of a big heart. Meditation spurs us to love and compassion as we live with creativity, subtlety, and reverence for the world of both human beings and nature.